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Creation of Center for Disease Control a ‘good move’ – expert
By TED CORDERO,GMA NewsAs the Philippines tackle the threat of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (nCoV-ARD), a legislative measure to create an independent agency to control the spread of communicable diseases was welcomed by a vaccine expert.
“I think it’s a good move,” Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) executive director Dr. Lulu Bravo said in a forum in Manila on Tuesday.
Albay Representative Joey Salceda had sought the creation of a Center for Disease Control (CDC)
amid the global spread of the nCoV.The proposed CDC would be an independent agency combining the Department of Health’s (DOH) Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) and Epidemiology Bureau “giving it more powers and more resources.”
Bravo said a separate body that would be in charge of controlling infectious and communicable diseases was needed so the other agencies under the Department of Health could focus on its research, clinical trials, as well as academic functions.
“Hindi mo dapat paghaluin ‘yan dahil ang mangyayari diyan maghahalo,” she explained. “Dapat ang kanya-kanyang function is well-defined... kaya dapat meron kang nakalaan for control. ‘Yang CDC kasi ‘yan talaga ang dapat mamahala sa pag-control at pag-contain.”
The nCoV death toll in China climbed to over 1,000 on Tuesday while more than 42,000 had been infected.
In the Philippines, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the recovery of two of the three Chinese nationals
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The Philippines' first confirmed case of novel coronavirus infection, a 38-year-old woman from China's Wuhan City, was discharged from the hospital after twice testing negative for the virus.
Her partner, a 44-year-old Chinese man, unfortunately died and became the first fatal case outside China.
Meanwhile, the country's third confirmed case was a 60-year-old woman who traveled to Cebu and Bohol from Wuhan City. She also recovered and was able to return to China.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines
While health authorities were addressing the nCoV threat to the country, Bravo said the government should also look into the issue of pneumococcal diseases which is a leading cause of death among children under five.
The PFV director said the DOH should look into the cost-effectiveness between the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) 10 and the PCV13 amid the ongoing review of the vaccines.
The DOH had postponed the bidding for P4.9 billion worth of PCV stocks for 2020 pending a review of data raised by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline.
While the DOH usually conducts open and competitive biddings, the PCV procurement process was questioned because it specified a single vaccine, the PCV13. — DVM, GMA News